Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Simple pot still distillation and construction with or without a thumper.

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Matilda
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Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Post by Matilda »

Hi all,

I'm sorry about this, I know the answers are here, I'm just confused...!!

I'm building a pot still on a 50l keg heated with a 3kw heater with controller.

I planned to have 1metre of 22mm copper around a slightly longer 15mm take off tube. - water in the bottom, out the top, (usual method)

I'm just worried it's not long enough... The calc is pretty confusing :/

Please help :(
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Bushman
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Re: Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Post by Bushman »

That size and length is fine!
Matilda
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Re: Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Post by Matilda »

Thanks BM,

Thanks a relief :)
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superdaveva
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Re: Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Post by superdaveva »

Make sure you read up on your build,put a wire around it! Read read read
just deal with it bitches
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NZChris
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Re: Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Post by NZChris »

That might not be long enough at it's full 3kw

http://homedistiller.org/calcs/cond_calc
RTClassic
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Re: Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Post by RTClassic »

Put some copper scrubbies in the first few inches of it and it will work fine. I found that unraveling the scrubbies gave me perfect pieces to shove down the liebeg, and they knock down all of the vapors.
PhatFil
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Re: Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Post by PhatFil »

according to the calculator 1m of 15 and 22mm tube is optimum for a running wattage of about 1200W im using a 2.4kw element and a resistance controlled SSR to manage the power, using full pelt to heat up and a lower power to maintain the run.
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Truckinbutch
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Re: Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Post by Truckinbutch »

Bottom line is that it is your's and you can play with it however you want to . Run it and observe . Should be fine as you built it . If it starts huffing you are overdriving it or underdriving coolant flow . One hand washes the other . If you don't get the output and speed you expected you can modify . In the meantime ; get good at driving what you got . The experience will stand you in good stead ...................
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
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Halfbaked
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Re: Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Post by Halfbaked »

+1
Truckinbutch wrote:Bottom line is that it is your's and you can play with it however you want to . Run it and observe . Should be fine as you built it . If it starts huffing you are overdriving it or underdriving coolant flow . One hand washes the other . If you don't get the output and speed you expected you can modify . In the meantime ; get good at driving what you got . The experience will stand you in good stead ...................
I'm a shorter than a meter and never had a problem.
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Bushman
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Re: Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Post by Bushman »

The wire or scrubbers to create turbulence is a good idea and what I did on my VM still.
Bagasso
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Re: Confused over Liebig length. (Sorry)

Post by Bagasso »

The calc on the parent site does say that a shorter condensor can be used if the flowrate is increased. A cheap ($10-$15) aquarium water pump can easily provide 4x the 1.23l/m that appears in the flowrate field for 3kw, using a 15mm liebeg.
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